High's Hummus Recipe from Pastry Queen Parties

Posting another recipe I've gotten many requests for, my super-duper-go-to hummus recipe.  Everyone raves about this.  It's from the cookbook, Pastry Queen Parties by Texas caterer and baker Rebecca Rather.  I've tried a lot of hummus recipes going all the way back to Silver Palate's (ooh, I'm dating myself), but this one comes out so smooth (but not SO smooth that it looks store bought) and it's so easy to make.  I modified it a bit by reducing the salt and increasing the cumin which is one of my favorite spices. Try it and you may never resort to store-bought hummus again!

High's Hummus

Adapted from Pastry Queen Parties: Entertaining Friends and Family, Texas Style by Rebecca Rather and Alison Oresman

Combine in food processor with metal blade:

2 (16oz) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 tbsp minced fresh garlic (about 3 medium cloves)

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp Hungarian paprika

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)

2 tbsp tahini

If the mixture is too thick and has a hard time turning, you can add 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil thru the feed tube to get things moving, but too much liquid at this point prevents the smaller pieces from  getting completely ground up. That's apparently the "secret"!  Stop to scrape down the sides as needed, then continue running the processor until the chickpeas are ground completely.

After the mixture is smooth, add:

4-6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Continue to process another 3 minutes or so or until smooth.

To serve, spoon hummus into a shallow serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil and a dash of paprika.

Enjoy!